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Fi'zi:k
Antares 00 Carbon Braided Saddle $349.99

Item # FIZ0065

Description

Arses rejoice.

There's a truism that the harder you ride, the harder you want your saddle to be. Ride an exercise bike at 60rpm and 40% of your max heart in the gym while reading genre fiction and you'll want a la-z-boy disguised as an overstuffed saddle. Storm up a mountain at your threshold power while sucking down all the oxygen your body can find and you'll want something light and stiff, something that holds you in place without getting in your way. That's what the Fizik Antares 00 Wingflex Braided Carbon Saddle gives.

While the braided carbon fiber rails underneath this saddle are obvious, and they offer a nice weight savings, that's not what this saddle is really about. It's about the carbon fiber shell. It's actually two layers of carbon-fiber sandwiching a thin layer of foam. This provides great support while allowing appreciable flex at the edges. Along with the WingFlex technology, this means that the sides of the saddle will move with your legs while the top will remain rigid.

The shell is stiff. That doesn't mean it's lacking in cushion. There is 10mm of padding at the nose, where the typical Fizik has only 3mm. It's great for people who ride aerobars or on the drops regularly, or for folks who have a not-insubstantial saddle-to-bar drop. And the saddle is fairly wide at the nose, 45mm, where other saddles are barely over 40mm. The Antares 00 also employs a new super-light, high-density foam that feels effectively like 3.7 times the padding of similarly-thick padding on other saddles. All of this makes the saddle great for those who find themselves sitting harder or deeper on their saddle to the point that a traditional racing saddle isn't comfortable.

Let's revisit the rails for a moment. They make for a 30g savings, which equates to 20% of the saddle's overall weight. Not shabby. The rails are made from braided carbon and then wrapped with another layer of carbon fiber cloth for even greater durability as well as having a rough surface for easy clamping. Another design feature for adding strength to the rails is the oval shaping -- 9mm tall by 7mm wide. People ask if carbon rails are durable enough for regular riding. Geoff Kabush, the estimable Canadian mountain biker who's one of the best North American performers on the international MTB circuit, has been using Fizik braided carbon rails for years without a problem.

The Fizik Antares 00 Wingflex Braided Carbon Saddle comes in Black or White and is 274mm long and 142mm at the widest point.

Please Note: The Carbon WingFlex shell on this saddle is not compatible with Fizik's ICS lights and saddle bags.

New stiffer, lighter carbon shell than previous models

Foam Core technology offers plenty of cushion without sacrificing control

Here's what others have to say...

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The Best Saddle for Form & Function

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

I rate the Fizik Antares 00 as one of the best saddles in both form and function. Just on aesthetics alone, it stands above 99% or more of the crowd, all while including an excellent balance between performance and comfort. The fact that it's so damn light is icing on the cake with almost no saddle any lighter that comes anywhere near the comfort level of this beast.

Part of the lightness does indeed come from the lack of Fizik's ICS system as mentioned above. I have a number of Fizik saddles and will say it's a nifty attachment system if you go for that kind of thing. I personally am not a fan of saddle bags on high performance bikes and prefer just carrying extras in jersey within something like the Mann Bag. The light attachment is pretty cool though something like the Thunderbolt from Serfas provides an even better solution, in my view.

The only real negative to the Antares 00 is the uber sharp edges that do not welcome a single botched move such as leaning against a wall and pulling off or letting it graze ANYTHING. You'll have a tear of that fine edge before you know it. But if you're careful with your ride and make sure you never lean on saddle, it's not an issue. Besides, most of the top saddle tend to be rather fragile on the edges.

By the way, if you DO want this ICS system, you can simply move down to the Fizik Antares R1 with braided rails, this only 20g heavier than the 00, coming in at @155g. See the comparison graphic I cobbled together below, this a view of the underside of the R1 vs the 00. The top of the 00 wins out as it seems stiffer and with less going on, eschewing the multiple panels that seem to pervade much of the rest of the Fizik lineup.

What is "ICS Compatible"?

ICS is Fizik's proprietary system for saddlebags and lights that allows you to clip the accessory into a recess at the back of the saddle. It eliminates the need for velcro around the rails to attach saddlebags and is awesome. Install/removal takes literally 1 second and it sits higher up under the saddle for a cleaner look (and better airflow?). I've loved every minute of it for three years. Unfortunately, this saddle does not have that system.